1971 Winston Cup Series

1971 Winston Cup Grand National Series
Season statistics
No. of races	48
First race	1971 Motor Trend 500
Last race	1971 Texas 500
Drivers' champion	Richard Petty
Manufacturers' champion
Rookie of the Year	Walter Ballard
Most popular driver	Bobby Allison
Previous	1970
Next	1972

The 1971 Winston Cup Grand National Series was the 23rd season of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. The season began with the Motor Trend 500 at Riverside International Raceway on January 10 and ended with the Texas 500 at Texas World Speedway on December 12.

Richard Petty won his third Grand National championship in his 12^th full-time season. He had 21 wins in the season, including his third Daytona 500 win. He had a record streak of 23 straight starts finishing in the top-5, and he defeated James Hylton by 364 points.

1971 was notable for being the first season in which RJ Reynolds & their Winston cigarettes brand were the title sponsor of the Grand National series. This allowed for improved marketing for the major events of the season as well as a prize package totaling $100,000. It also saw Chrysler and Ford reduce factory backing of teams, forcing teams to rely on sponsors or appearance money from track promoters to continue racing. In response to Ford’s withdrawal, Junior Johnson built a Chevrolet at the request of Richard Howard for the World 600, tapping into a latent General Motors fanbase, and starting the Junior Johnson & Associates race team.

Grand American cars were allowed to compete alongside Grand National cars at short track events beginning mid-season. This led to a questionable race at Bowman-Gray Stadium in which Bobby Allison won, but since he was driving a Grand American car at the time, he was not credited with a Grand National win until October 2024, when NASCAR recognized Allison as the official winner.

Schedule

Round	Date	Race Name	Track
1	January 10, 1971	Motor Trend 500	Riverside International Raceway
2	February 11, 1971	Daytona 500 Qualifier #1	Daytona International Speedway
3	February 11, 1971	Daytona 500 Qualifier #2	Daytona International Speedway
4	February 14, 1971	Daytona 500	Daytona International Speedway
5	February 28, 1971	Miller High Life 500	Ontario Motor Speedway
6	March 7, 1971	Richmond 500	Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway
7	March 14, 1971	Carolina 500	North Carolina Motor Speedway
8	March 21, 1971	Hickory 276	Hickory Speedway
9	March 28, 1971	Southeastern 500	Bristol International Speedway
10	April 4, 1971	Atlanta 500	Atlanta International Raceway
11	April 8, 1971	Columbia 200	Columbia Speedway
12	April 10, 1971	Greenville 200	Greenville-Pickens Speedway
13	April 15, 1971	Maryville 200	Smoky Mountain Raceway
14	April 18, 1971	Gwyn Staley 400	North Wilkesboro Speedway
15	April 25, 1971	Virginia 500	Martinsville Speedway
16	May 2, 1971	Rebel 400	Darlington Raceway
17	May 9, 1971	Halifax County 100	South Boston Speedway
18	May 16, 1971	Winston 500	Alabama International Motor Speedway
19	May 21, 1971	Asheville 300	New Asheville Speedway
20	May 23, 1971	Kingsport 300	Kingsport Speedway
21	May 30, 1971	World 600	Charlotte Motor Speedway
22	June 6, 1971	Mason-Dixon 500	Dover Downs International Speedway
23	June 13, 1971	Motor State 400	Michigan International Speedway
24	June 20, 1971	Winston Golden State 400	Riverside International Raceway
25	June 23, 1971	Space City 300	Meyer Speedway
26	June 26, 1971	Pickens 200	Greenville-Pickens Speedway
27	July 4, 1971	Medal of Honor Firecracker 400	Daytona International Speedway
28	July 11, 1971	Volunteer 500	Bristol International Speedway
29	July 14, 1971	Albany-Saratoga 250	Albany-Saratoga Speedway
30	July 15, 1971	Islip 250	Islip Speedway
31	July 18, 1971	Northern 300	Trenton Speedway
32	July 24, 1971	Nashville 420	Nashville Speedway
33	August 1, 1971	Dixie 500	Atlanta International Raceway
34	August 6, 1971	Myers Brothers 250	Bowman Gray Stadium
35	August 8, 1971	West Virginia 500	International Raceway Park
36	August 15, 1971	Yankee 400	Michigan International Speedway
37	August 22, 1971	Talladega 500	Alabama International Motor Speedway
38	August 27, 1971	Sandlapper 200	Columbia Speedway
39	August 28, 1971	Buddy Shuman 276	Hickory Speedway
40	September 6, 1971	Southern 500	Darlington Raceway
41	September 26, 1971	Old Dominion 500	Martinsville Speedway
42	October 10, 1971	National 500	Charlotte Motor Speedway
43	October 17, 1971	Delaware 500	Dover Downs International Speedway
44	October 24, 1971	American 500	North Carolina Motor Speedway
45	November 7, 1971	Georgia 500	Middle Georgia Raceway
46	November 14, 1971	Capital City 500	Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway
47	November 21, 1971	Wilkes 400	North Wilkesboro Speedway
48	December 12, 1971	Texas 500	Texas World Speedway

Results

Round	Race	Pole Winner	Winner	Make	Cautions	Caution Laps	Average Speed	Number of Lead Changes
1	1971 Motor Trend 500	Richard Petty	Ray Elder		1	9	100.783	10
2	1971 Daytona 500 Qualifier #1	A.J. Foyt	Pete Hamilton		0	0	175.029	9
3	1971 Daytona 500 Qualifier #2	Bobby Isaac	David Pearson		1	3	168.728	20
4	1971 Daytona 500	A.J. Foyt	Richard Petty		7	44	144.462	48
5	1971 Miller High Life 500	A.J. Foyt	A.J. Foyt		5	21	134.168	28
6	1971 Richmond 500	Dave Marcis	Richard Petty		3	18	79.836	6
7	1971 Carolina 500	Fred Lorenzen	Richard Petty		7	36	118.696	19
8	1971 Hickory 276	Bobby Allison	Richard Petty		3	22	67.700	4
9	1971 Southeastern 500	David Pearson	David Pearson		5	45	91.704	9
10	1971 Atlanta 500	A.J. Foyt	A.J. Foyt		4	31	131.375	23
11	1971 Columbia 200	James Hylton	Richard Petty		2	10	76.514	6
12	1971 Greenville 200	David Pearson	Bobby Isaac		1	5	78.159	1
13	1971 Maryville 200	Friday Hassler	Richard Petty		1	3	88.697	3
14	1971 Gwyn Staley 400	Bobby Isaac	Richard Petty		0	0	98.479	6
15	1971 Virginia 500	Donnie Allison	Richard Petty		1	3	77.707	10
16	1971 Rebel 400	Donnie Allison	Buddy Baker		5	30	130.678	13
17	1971 Halifax County 100	Bobby Isaac	Benny Parsons		2	14	72.271	4
18	1971 Winston 500	Donnie Allison	Donnie Allison		7	45	147.419	45
19	1971 Asheville 300	Richard Petty	Richard Petty		0	0	71.231	4
20	1971 Kingsport 300	Bobby Isaac	Bobby Isaac		6	35	63.242	2
21	1971 World 600	Charlie Glotzbach	Bobby Allison		3	24	140.422	13
22	1971 Mason-Dixon 500	Richard Petty	Bobby Allison		0	0	123.119	21
23	1971 Motor State 400	Bobby Allison	Bobby Allison		2	13	149.567	32
24	1971 Winston Golden State 400	Bobby Allison	Bobby Allison		6	32	93.427	12
25	1971 Space City 300	Bobby Allison	Bobby Allison		0	0	73.489	6
26	1971 Pickens 200	Bobby Allison	Richard Petty		3	15	74.297	7
27	1971 Medal of Honor Firecracker 400	Donnie Allison	Bobby Isaac		2	11	161.947	34
28	1971 Volunteer 500	Richard Petty	Charlie Glotzbach		0	0	101.074	7
29	1971 Albany-Saratoga 250	Richard Petty	Richard Petty		2	10	66.748	7
30	1971 Islip 250	Richard Petty	Richard Petty		0	0	49.925	0
31	1971 Northern 300	Friday Hassler	Richard Petty		3	12	120.347	13
32	1971 Nashville 420	Richard Petty	Richard Petty		4	46	89.667	2
33	1971 Dixie 500	Buddy Baker	Richard Petty		5	48	129.061	27
34	1971 Myers Brothers 250	Richard Petty	Bobby Allison		6	36	44.792	1
35	1971 West Virginia 500	Bobby Allison	Richard Petty		5	38	83.805	13
36	1971 Yankee 400	Pete Hamilton	Bobby Allison		2	12	149.862	30
37	1971 Talladega 500	Donnie Allison	Bobby Allison		5	43	145.945	54
38	1971 Sandlapper 200	Richard Petty	Richard Petty		6	41	64.831	6
39	1971 Buddy Shuman 276	Dave Marcis	Tiny Lund		2	7	72.937	1
40	1971 Southern 500	Bobby Allison	Bobby Allison		5	32	131.398	14
41	1971 Old Dominion 500	Bobby Isaac	Bobby Isaac		3	33	73.681	10
42	1971 National 500	Charlie Glotzbach	Bobby Allison		6	37	126.140	10
43	1971 Delaware 500	Bobby Allison	Richard Petty		2	9	123.254	3
44	1971 American 500	Charlie Glotzbach	Richard Petty		9	58	113.405	14
45	1971 Georgia 500	Bobby Allison	Bobby Allison		7	44	80.859	8
46	1971 Capital City 500	Bill Dennis	Richard Petty		4	24	80.025	9
47	1971 Wilkes 400	Charlie Glotzbach	Tiny Lund		3	19	96.174	8
48	1971 Texas 500	Pete Hamilton	Richard Petty		3	28	144.000	22

Final Points Standings

Pos.	Driver	Races	Wins	Top 5s	Top 10s	Poles	Points	Difference
1	Richard Petty	46	21	38	41	9	4435
2	James Hylton	46	0	14	37	1	4071	-364
3	Cecil Gordon	46	0	6	21	0	3677	-758
4	Bobby Allison	42	11	27	31	9	3636	-799
5	Elmo Langley	46	0	11	23	0	3356	-1,079
6	Jabe Thomas	43	0	2	15	0	3200	-1,235
7	Bill Champion	45	0	3	14	0	3058	-1,377
8	Frank Warren	47	0	1	10	0	2886	-1,549
9	J.D. McDuffie	43	0	2	8	0	2862	-1,573
10	Walter Ballard	41	0	3	11	0	2633	-1,802
11	Benny Parsons	35	1	13	18	0	2611	-1,824
12	Ed Negre	43	0	0	2	0	2528	-1,907
13	Bill Seifert	37	0	0	4	0	2403	-2,032
14	Henley Gray	39	0	0	4	0	2392	-2,043
15	Buddy Baker	19	1	13	16	1	2358	-2,077
16	Friday Hassler	29	0	4	13	2	2277	-2,158
17	Earl Brooks	35	0	1	4	0	2205	-2,230
18	Bill Dennis	28	0	4	10	1	2181	-2,254
19	Wendell Scott	37	0	0	4	0	2180	-2,255
20	John Sears	37	0	0	3	0	2167	-2,268
21	Dave Marcis	29	0	9	14	2	2049	-2,386
22	Neil Castles	38	0	1	10	0	2036	-2,399
23	Bobby Isaac	25	4	16	17	4	1819	-2,616
24	Pete Hamilton	22	1	11	12	2	1739	-2,696
25	Joe Frasson	17	0	1	4	0	1619	-2,816
26	Ben Arnold	18	0	0	3	0	1618	-2,817
27	Ron Keselowski	20	0	0	6	0	1446	-2,989
28	Bill Shirey	27	0	0	2	0	1303	-3,132
29	Donnie Allison	13	1	7	9	5	1280	-3,155
30	Dean Dalton	20	0	0	1	0	1276	-3,159
31	Raymond Williams	20	0	0	0	0	1270	-3,165
32	Dick May	22	0	0	1	0	1090	-3,345
33	Charlie Roberts	20	0	0	2	0	1053	-3,382
34	G.C. Spencer	17	0	2	6	0	1008	-3,427
35	Richard D. Brown	13	0	0	2	0	967	-3,468
36	Dick Brooks	20	0	9	12	0	939	-3,496
37	Larry Baumel	16	0	0	1	0	904	-3,531
38	Maynard Troyer	13	0	1	3	0	879	-3,556
39	Roy Mayne	11	0	0	1	0	852	-3,583
40	Ken Meisenhelder	15	0	0	1	0	797	-3,638

Complete statistics can be found at Racing-Reference.info.

Rookie of the Year

With 3 Top 5s and 11 Top 10s in 41 starts, Walter Ballard won the 1971 Rookie of the Year Award.

Position	Driver	Race Wins
1	Walter Ballard	0
2	Maynard Troyer	0
3	Richard Brown	0
4	D.K. Ulrich	0

Manufacturer's Championship

With 22 wins, Plymouth won the 1971 Manufacturer’s Championship.

Position	Make	Race Wins
1		22
2		8
3		10
4		5
5		3
6		0
7		0
8		0
9		0